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Easter may be a holiday, but it’s also a time of intense activity in the Australian Thoroughbred industry, especially in Sydney. The BWM Sydney Carnival runs from March 24 to April 28 at Royal Randwick and Rosehill Gardens, and features the world’s richest 2-year-old race, the A$3.5 million AMI Golden Slipper (gr. I)—contested on Easter Saturday—and, one week later, the A$1.5 million David Jones Australian Derby (gr. I), with 2012 seeing the 151st renewal.

The Easter period also sees two of Australia’s most important bloodstock sales. Commencing on the Tuesday following Easter and running for three days (April 10-12), the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale will see more than 500 youngsters pass through the ring. Just a week later the same company hosts the Australian Easter Broodmare Sale (April 17-19), the Southern Hemisphere’s premier breeding stock sale. This year the broodmare sale will feature a new format, with a Super Select Session of the top 200 fillies and mares entered in sale kicking off the first day, the second day featuring a select session, and with the sale concluding with a third day’s offerings. The principal breeding stock sales following hot on the heels of a major yearling sale is something a little different from what happens in Europe or the U.S., but for Americans it’s rather like the Keeneland November Sale being moved to a week after the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, or maybe having a select broodmare sale during the Saratoga meet, and following on from the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale.

This year, the Sydney Carnival and Easter Sales will take place in an atmosphere considerably enlivened by Friday’s Australian High Court Decision that Racing New South Wales (New South Wales being the state in which Sydney is located) is permitted to collect a 1.5% tax on turnover from bookmakers Sportsbet, and Betfair, a betting exchange, in exchange for use of raceday information. In addition to ongoing income, this also means the release of A$120 million that Racing New South Wales had collected from the companies since 2008. Some of this income is slated for infrastructure improvements, with a planned A$150 million redevelopment of Randwick Racecourse and A$24 million of improvements set for Rosehill. In addition, it is expected that there will be an almost immediate boost in prize money in New South Wales, and with other states watching developments closely, the news is a major shot in the arm for Australian racing, and it will be no surprise if this reflected in trade at the Easter Sales.

As far as the search for racing and breeding prospects is concerned, TrueNicks reports—complimentary for all yearlings by subscribed stallions and for the in-utero foals by those horses—are now available online. Those in the Northern Hemisphere browsing the pedigrees will find plenty of familiar faces, including the offspring of such as Authorized (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO), Bernardini (TrueNicks,SRO), Danehill Dancer, Distorted Humor (TrueNicks,SRO), Dylan Thomas (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO), Galileo, Hard Spun (TrueNicks,SRO), Henrythenavigator (TrueNicks,SRO), High Chaparral (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO), Medaglia d'Oro (TrueNicks,SRO), More Than Ready (TrueNicks,SRO), New Approach (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO), Red Ransom, Rock of Gibraltar, Shamardal (TrueNicks,SRO), Street Cry (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO), Street Sense (TrueNicks,SRO), Tale of the Cat (TrueNicks,SRO), Tapit (TrueNicks,SRO), and Teofilo (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO).

Of course, top Australian sires including Encosta de Lago (AUS) (TrueNicks,SRO), Fastnet Rock (AUS) (TrueNicks,SRO), Lonhro (AUS) (TrueNicks,SRO), and Redoute's Choice (AUS) (TrueNicks,SRO), and New Zealand’s Zabeel, are also well-represented as are two exciting freshman Northern Meteor (AUS) (TrueNicks) and Sebring (AUS) (TrueNicks). Many of the above stallions also appear as covering sires the following week. Among the young mares on select day are Australian group I winners Response and Demerger; South African group I winner Shapira; New Zealand champion 2-year-old filly Anabandana; Diana Cazadora, a group I winner in Chile; U.S. grade II winners Sharp Susan and Sherine; and Australian group winners Bashful Girl, Just Dancing, Lady Lynette, Marheta, Mimi Lebrock, and Miss Stellabelle.

To view TrueNicks pages for the Easter Sales, as well as dozens of other past and upcoming international sales, visit TrueNicks.com/Auctions.

Filed under: Announcements, Auctions and Sales, Australia